It's that time of year again here in West Virginia, the time when the flora starts to sprout new life and the forest floors explode with color. Spring Time!

This season is arguably one of the most anticipated seasons of the year, right up there with Autumn. But while Fall gives grand landscapes of color, Spring brings with it a softer more subtle color experience that usually is only just a few inches above the leaf litter. The wildflowers of the region are quite varied in both their looks and their uses. From the Bloodroot, whose root sap was used by the native people to dye their clothing red, to the Cutleaf Toothwort, which was also used by the native people for treating toothaches, headaches and colds. 

When going out in search of wildflowers in the southern part of West Virginia it is important to remember that many of the plants will not be seen where the activities of humans have recently been. Keeping that in mind, it's a good idea to try to get out into the untouched ares or areas that have had several decades to recover. This doesn't mean that you won't spot some wonderful examples of our natural little beauties along a roadside or parking area, just that you'll get a larger and more diverse selection if you just move into our wilderness. Just keep a watchful eye out for our native snake species while enjoying our wild areas.

There are many state parks in the area that offer miles and miles of hiking trails for all levels of abilities as well as the New River Gorge National River which has thousands of acres of "damplands", woodlands, fields and forests just waiting to be explored and each of which hold a unique selection of flowers as well as many of the same types.

So I encourage you to make plans to visit southern West Virginia, or any part of the state for that matter, and come see the beauty and wonder that awaits you when you just take the time to get out and look down.